FILM REVIEW – ‘HITMAN: AGENT 47’ (2015)

Hitman: Agent 47 wasn’t exactly set up as a must-see film. As a reboot of a box-office flop from 2007 (if you haven’t seen it, seriously, don’t waste your time) that starred Timothy Olyphant, this movie was already starting off with a black mark against it. Having watched that last cinematic travesty at the theaters, I can say, without a doubt, that Olyphant was the absolute worst choice they could’ve made.

Since this movie was based on a video game, that would be a second mark against it.The plot-lines for most video games are, at best, limited in that their only purpose is to get you through the game; not draw you into a complicated, emotional storyline that gets you vested in a particular character or group of characters. And as we all know, most, if not all movies based on video games just outright… well… suck.

All that aside, this movie actually didn’t disappoint. Sure, the dialogue felt more like the cut scenes from a game, and the acting was a bit wooden, but it’s all intentional. – So, let’s get down to brass tacks.

Rupert Friend (of Homeland, Pride and Prejudice) as Agent 47, is pretty epic. His ability to shut down all emotions to be the perfect killing machine was flawless. His task, find the missing creator of the Agent project, Litvenko, played by Ciarán Hinds (of HBO’s Game of Thrones), who does a beautiful job playing a dying Russian Doctor. In order to find the good doctor, Agent 47 must first locate his daughter, Katia, played by Hannah Ware (of Oldboy). Katia has been programmed to survive by any means necessary, so, she has heightened senses, fear, and deductive as well as inductive reasoning. She, also, seems to have predictive capabilities which come in handy on multiple occasions.

Let’s make this interesting, shall we. What’s a good movie without a well-played antagonist? Bring on Zachary Quinto (of Star Trek, Heroes) as John Smith, a Syndicate creation. He has liquid titanium under his skin and all the moves of Agent 47. He has all the brute strength and skill, but lacks the higher intelligence necessary to be an agent. That, and his staggering need to have 47 tell him he’s the better agent tends to have him on the losing side of their fights. His frequent losses make his boss, and Syndicate chairman, Le Clerq, played by Thomas Kretschmann (of Wanted, King Kong) angry and nervous. He’s built his company and reputation around being able to build an agent army. Hence, he really needs to get his hands on Litvenko.

There are some pretty epic fight sequences throughout this movie, and some pretty cool car chases. The graphics were well done, as one would expect from a video game company. There were even some amusing parts for those of us who enjoy levity in a flick. This movie had me making more “ouch that had to hurt” faces than I’ve ever made at a pro wrestling or MMA event. That’s saying a lot for it in my twisted mind.

The Bottom Line:
Overall, Hitman: Agent 47 is a pretty decent flick. Well-acted, well cast, and leaps and bounds better than the original. That said, it’s not going to blow anyone away, but for what it is, it works. Acceptable action movie, which is more than can be said for most films based on video games. – 6.7/10